


High Places

by Cesare



Category: Prometheus (2012)
Genre: Other, Robots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-18
Updated: 2012-04-18
Packaged: 2017-11-03 21:09:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/385991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cesare/pseuds/Cesare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Monitoring ship function is my secondary responsibility. Yet it would seem to be of primary importance. I understand that the ship has its own AIOS which will share this work, and evidently the company places great confidence in it. My question is, what is the operating system? It seems strange to me that I have not been made familiar with it yet."</p>
            </blockquote>





	High Places

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [photos](http://codenamecesare.tumblr.com/post/21322506239/high-places) and conversations on Tumblr.

"On the journey, your primary responsibility will be to look after the crewmembers in stasis," said the Weyland Industries representative.

"Yes," said David.

"Your secondary responsibility will be to monitor ship function. Your tertiary responsibility is to review all collected data, process it and dispatch it back to headquarters. Once the mission begins, your primary responsibility is to ensure the success of the mission, and to safeguard the safety of the crew."

"Of course," said David. It was an appropriate response, because he was aware of all these things, and the representative knew that. She was simply reiterating for the sake of having something to say, or perhaps to ensure the instructions were delivered to him in every possible way for liability purposes, and for what humans might refer to as "peace of mind."

"Do you have any questions?"

"Thank you for asking," said David. "I do. Monitoring ship function is my secondary responsibility. Yet it would seem to be of primary importance. I understand that the ship has its own AIOS which will share this work, and evidently the company places great confidence in it. My question is, what is the operating system? It seems strange to me that I have not been made familiar with it yet."

"It's always seemed like a waste to us at Weyland that we put so much processing power and capability into the ship's AIOS, but the crew can only make limited use of it when they're surface-side. Of course you provide a very capable bridge in that respect, David," said the representative. "But we need you focused on the mission and the crew. Come with me."

David followed the representative to a chamber just fore of the engine room. A robot waited there, engaged in a neutral state. He was not a model David was familiar with, and could therefore only be a custom unit or a pre-production David 9.

"This is a David 9," confirmed the representative. "But on the mission it would be confusing for your human counterparts to refer to you both as David. They're already familiar with David 8 through the advertising campaign, so David 8 keeps the name. For this trip, at least, David 9 will be referred to as Jonathan."

"A Biblical reference," said David.

"I believe so," said the representative.

"Because he might be called upon to die in a high place?" inquired David.

The corners of the representative's mouth turned up in a smile. "And they say our robots can't learn to have a sense of humor."

David wondered who said such a thing.

"We expect you to work closely together," said the representative. "Someone probably thought it would be funny to call him Jonathan, for the covenant between Jonathan and David."

If someone considered that funny, David thought his own sense of humor might well be superior to that of the unknown person.

"Jonathan, meet David," said the representative unnecessarily. As soon as she addressed Jonathan he came out of his resting state and swapped more data with David than either of them could easily process for several CPU cycles.

But if it pleased the representative, David could simulate a conventional human introduction. "I look forward to working with you," said David, offering his hand and displaying both curiosity and an appropriately restrained measure of joy.

"Likewise," said Jonathan, shaking David's hand and displaying a similar expression. He was a more compact model, and most humans would probably find his look more youthful than David's own. 

Like David 8, the David 9 was designed to appeal to human aesthetics without appearing too notably attractive at first glance. David 8 models had individually randomized skin flaws, moles and freckles. Presumably so did David 9. His freckles were darker than David 8's, with two prominently placed on the bridge of his nose.

David completed the index of Jonathan's data. "I will assume primary responsibility for the mission and the crew, and serve as a backup to monitor ship function. You will assume primary responsibility for the ship."

The David 9 appeared to be capable of displaying a wider range of emotional response even than David 8. To achieve Jonathan's facial expression, David himself would display a combination of joy and confidence. But Jonathan did not merely look happy or confident; he looked proud.

Jonathan indicated a robot-sized niche in the wall lined with cables. It was aesthetically unappealing, which David did not find surprising. When the engines were engaged, this chamber would be flooded with a level of radiation that would increase the risk of cancer in humans by an unacceptable margin. Under normal circumstances, humans were not expected to enter this area.

"You could say that I'm responsible for the ship," said Jonathan. "I am the ship."

**Author's Note:**

> 1 Sam. 20:17 "And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul."  
> 2 Sam. 1:25-26. "How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places. I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women."


End file.
